Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
La Grande Arche de la Fraternité:
This is the centerpiece of this ambitious complex.
Inaugurated in 1989 on the 200th anniversary of the French Revolution, it was, like the
Revolution, dedicated to human rights and brotherhood. The place is big—Notre-Dame
Cathedral could fit under its arch. The “cloud”—a huge canvas canopy under the arch—is
an attempt to cut down on the wind-tunnel effect this gigantic building creates.
Lunch on the Steps:
Join the locals and picnic on the arch steps; good to-go places are
plentiful (and cafés are nearby).
The Esplanade:
La Défense is much more than its eye-catching arch. Survey the sky-
scraping scene from the top of the steps. Wander from the arch back toward the city center
(and to the next Métro stop) along the Esplanade (a.k.a. “le Parvis”). The Esplanade is a vir-
tual open-air modern art gallery, sporting pieces by Joan Miró (blue, red, and yellow), Al-
exander Calder (red), and Yaacov Agam (the fountain with colorful stripes and rhythmically
dancing spouts), among others.
La Défense de Paris,
the statue that gave the area its name,
recalls the 1871 Franco-Prussian war—it's a rare bit of old Paris out here in the 'burbs.
As you descend the Esplanade, notice how the small gardens and
boules
courts (reddish
dirtareas)aredesignedtointegratetraditionintothiscelebrationofmoderncommerce.Note
also how the buildings decrease in height and increase in age—the Nexity Tower (closest
to central Paris) looks old compared to the other skyscrapers. Dating from the 1960s, it was
one of the first buildings at La Défense. Your walk ends at the amusing fountain of Bassin
Takis, where you'll find the Esplanade de la Défense Métro station that zips you out of all
this modernity and directly back into town.
The Marais neighborhood extends along the Right Bank of the Seine, from the Pompidou
Center to the Bastille, the prison of Revolution fame. But don't waste time looking for the
Bastille; the building is long gone, and just the square remains. With more pre-Revolution-
ary lanes and buildings than anywhere else in town, the Marais is more atmospheric than
touristy. It's medieval Paris, and the haunt of the old nobility. During the reign of Henry IV,
this area—originally a swamp
(marais)
—became the hometown of the French aristocracy.
In the 17th century, big shots built their private mansions
(hôtels)
close to Henry's stylish
Place des Vosges.
With the Revolution, the aristocratic splendor of this quarter passed, and the Marais
became a dumpy bohemian quarter so sordid it was nearly slated for destruction. In the
mid-1800s, the wrecking ball was poised over the Marais: Napoleon III had ordered Baron
Georges-Eugène Haussmann to modernize Paris by blasting out narrow streets to construct
broad boulevards (wide enough for the big guns of the army, too wide for revolutionary bar-
ricades). By 1910, the renovation was almost complete, and a big boulevard was planned to
